Auto-onderdeel (1) - Smart - Perspex-cast part of a smart city car, prototype 1996 - 1990-2000

Perspex-cast part of a smart prototype

At the bottom left of the rectangular block of perspex, into which a metal car part has been cast, is the text ‘Original part of the first smart prototype limited edition 700/1996’.
At the bottom right is the smart logo, printed in grey with a red triangle in the a of smart.
At the top left of the block is printed the text: “Hambach (F) 17.–19.09.1996”.

The object was officially issued in 1997 by the German-Swiss MCC (Micro Compact Car), the manufacturer of the iconic smart city car.

The dimensions of the object are 2.91 inches (width) by 1.22 inches (depth) by 2.17 inches (height). It weighs 5.93 ounces.

The object can be included in a collection of automotive memorabilia, but can also be used as a presse-papier or paperweight for everyday use by a smart enthusiast, for example.

Around September 1996, the design or prototype of the new smart Fortwo (two-seater) city car was unveiled to the world at the Paris Motor Show. Originally, the smart was intended to be (exclusively) an electric car. The car was eventually launched in the spring of 1998 with a combustion engine.
Incidentally, since 2018, the smart Fortwo has been available with an electric drive system.
The brand name smart has been written with a lowercase s from the beginning.

Production of the smart at the smart factory in Hambach in Lorraine, France, ceased in the spring of 2024 after more than 25 years. Owner Mercedes-Benz sold several million smart Fortwo cars during that time. Today, smart is represented in 46 countries around the world, with its main markets being Germany, Italy and China.

The factory in Hambach, nicknamed Smartville, was one of the most modern car factories and was founded in 1994 as a joint venture between Daimler-Benz and the Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch to produce the smart car. The factory was officially opened in 1997 in the presence of Jacques Chirac and Helmut Kohl.
In the summer of 1997, Mercedes increased its stake in the joint venture, which was called MCC/Micro Compact Car, from 51 to 81 per cent, and at the end of 1998, Swatch withdrew from the joint venture altogether.

Perspex is a widely used material in the art world and is very durable. Cast perspex is highly resistant to damage and ageing, which extends the life of the object.